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 CHAPTER 20: BURN MY DREAD Previously posted:The ENDAR SPIRE was a great Republic warship that crashed centuries ago on the planet TARIS. Within its databanks is information that many would kill to possess. The Jedi JOLUNE MOL'NEUX, searching for missing Master CIN TYKAN, has stumbled into the battle for control of the lost ship...    : I feel... there's something here. Maybe many somethings. : Ship has armour, power. Safe shelter.: Safe for who?  : Childress sent me. What cut you off?   : Scavengers must have guessed we were after something good. We need to hold them off long enough for the research team to recover and download that data. : Get the researchers inside, then stay behind me. I want a clear line-of-sight. Not that I need an actual sightline, I just don't want to Force push any of you through a bulkhead.: With the Force on our side, we have to win! Okay. Data's priority one. Everyone into the ship. Go!  : If I just connect this here, the next section should open... Childress was right, our technology really hasn't changed in the last 300 years.     : Everyone down! You get swarmed by three waves of scavengers. Unusually for an allied NPC, Lieutenant Karlsu will help out in this fight by firing on enemies with his assault cannon. He doesn't do much damage, but hey, it's the thought that counts.   : I think that's the last of them.: If you hadn't come when you did, those would be our smoking corpses there, no question. Unfortunately, we're not done, not until this wreck's data is in the hands of Commander Viqui.: I liked it better when you were thanking me. :  : Best way you can help is to take this datapad to Commander Viqui at the outpost. I can defend the team until reinforcements arrive. : Thank you for protecting us. And good luck.BACK AT THE BASE...   : If you have any questions about military operations on Taris, then frankly you can shove them up your... oh! : You're the one I'm supposed to report to? : Yes, I appreciate the service that you have done for me and for the Republic. The data from the Endar Spire will be invaluable to the Republic's war efforts. Lieutenant Karlsu tells me there's close surveillance footage of the Imperial warships.: 300 year old warships used by an Empire that no longer exists.: Eh, they're big, grey and triangular. That's basically the same as what we're fighting now.: … I'm pleased I could help. : Thank you for your service. Republic intelligence has been waiting for this data since the bombardment fell. : I'm sure it'll be very useful if Darth Malak returns from the dead. : Where now?: The Expeditionary Force bunker. We need to get some leads on where Master Tykan could be, and Master Bakarn said they could help. : Hey! Qyzen, look- no feet! Wheee!   : It's a pleasure to meet you. : Pleasure's mine. My men will be glad there's another Jedi around. Master Tykan's been a big help. : This has to be a mix-up. My master is a renowned Kaleesh scout, a truly gifted pathfinder. I-- oops, Padawan Aris Vauranelle, at your service.: I have to see your Master, Aris. If he's ill, only the Force can heal him. : What.: She's right. When the Council called, Master Tykan had just left with a research expedition. If he's gone rogue, it's news to us.: Where is that expedition now?: Those pollution readings take ages to compile. They're not due back for days.: Regardless, I'm sure Master Tykan will want to meet you. I'll try and reach him. *bzzzt*  *bzzzt* : What the-- ? That's the expedition guardsman-- Sergeant Valoy! Where's Tykan?: There must have been an accident. Those ruins are always shifting: Their transmission got out. The team might still be okay.: I'll get a rescue team scrambled-- no, drat, I'll never get them out there in time! : Then let's hope it can protect my men too. Meantime, I'll put a team together. Here- take a copy of the expedition's map to guide you. Watch yourself- there's more than pollution in those swamps.: Have already met natives. They are entertaining.: No they are not!  : Maybe Aris is right and the Council is wrong and Master Tykan is fine and the expedition just happened to have a nasty accident by chance. And maybe the rakghouls are misunderstood vegetarians and Taris will be rebuilt good as new and the Empire will give up and go home and I'll get a space pony for my birthday. : This is where the map led us... There's no one here?: Many were here. Fighting, dying, running. Can taste their scent.: All I can smell is swamp... and oil? : Someone got left behind. : T8-C3 = greets Jedi / / Damage report = major power loss / / T8 = unable to help expedition / / Query = Jedi seeks Master Tykan?: Can you explain what happened? : Master Tykan = left before attack / / Master Tykan + scout team = surveying area / / Master Tykan = lost = finding landmarks: The Jedi Order's greatest tracker-- lost? That doesn't seem right at all.: T8 = always honest / / Jedi can check memory core / / Master Tykan + scout team = not far / / T8 = has coordinates / / Master Tykan + scout team = carrying expedition finds / / Finds = medical holocrons + relics / / Master Tykan + scout team = target to hostiles: I'll do everything in my power to help. : Me too. Take care heading back to base... although given you're inedible, you've probably got less to fear from this planet than most.  : Was Tykan really lost, or did he leave those people to die? If that was the plan, why did he take a team with him? Maybe he hasn't fallen all the way yet.... We're almost to the coordinates T8 gave us. : A closed trap.: Oh no... come on Qyzen!    : The Force is with me!  : There are still people trapped in the fires!: The flame smells wrong. Tread lightly, Herald.  : Trust in the Force. I won't let any harm come to you.  : Oh, thank you, thank you! : And the Jedi holocrons, Tal! Their medical data could save millions! We have to preserve them!A simple light v. dark choice here- save the girl or the holocrons. Although the dark choice is portrayed as being ruthlessly pragmatic rather than straight evil, Doctor Edaine is still a monumental dick for arguing to let one of his colleagues get burned alive rather than give up the holocrons that he just found. He doesn't even know if they work or not! Also, as we just saw Jolune pick up and throw an enormous metal girder with the Force, you wonder why she can't save both the holocrons and the girl- even combined they must weigh less than the girder. : No artifacts are worth endangering someone's life.  *BOOM*  : The holocrons are gone! You fool, what have you done? : Saved my life, doctor. You'd have let me die! And on top of Tykan trying to kill us!: Can you explain what happened?: We were taking pollution readings in the ruins. But when we found those medical holocrons, we decided to get them back right away. : I can't imagine a Jedi Master doing such a thing. Well actually I can, given that about a quarter of Sith Lords start out as Jedi Masters. It'd probably be more accurate to say; “I can't imagine a Jedi Master, who hasn't yet started wearing black and calling himself Lord Bloodmurder, doing such a thing”.: I don't understand any of this either. Tykan said he was punishing us for letting Taris be destroyed, centuries ago! And that soon we would be joined by “everyone at the Junction”.: The Junction's an old purification facility the Republic retrofitted to process dangerous gases. As the entire atmosphere of Taris qualifies as a dangerous gas under Galactic Emissions Standards, the Junction is a pretty busy place.: Hundreds of people work at the Junction. If Master Tykan's planning something...: I won't allow Tykan to hurt anyone else. I promise.  NEXT TIME: Master Tykan speaks to us of cabbages and kings. Inferior fucked around with this message at 09:56 on Oct 12, 2013 |
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